Lions Bounced at Big Tens

Penn State got another big game from Tim Frazier but little from anyone else in a loss to Indiana in Indianapolis Thursday. PSU wrapped its season at 12-20.

The final game of Penn State's 2011-12 season was a microcosm of the entire campaign.

In a Big Ten Tournament opening-round matchup with Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Thursday afternoon, the Nittany Lions got a whole lot from All-Conference guard Tim Frazier and not much from anybody else.

Frazier scored 26 points -- tied for the most ever by a PSU player at the tournament -- but it wasn't nearly enough to offset a solid all-around team game from the Hoosiers, who won, 75-58.

Penn State, the tournament's 12th seed, finished its first season under Pat Chambers at 12-20. The fifth-seeded and No. 18 Hoosiers improved to 24-7 and advanced to the quarterfinals (they will face No. 4 seed Wisconsin Friday).

At one point in the first half, Penn State had eight field goals and Frazier had six of them. He reached his season average with 19 points in the first 20 minutes as the Nittany Lions managed to stay within 38-32 at the break. Nobody else had more than five for Penn State.

By contrast, IU was spreading the wealth, getting 13 from deadeye guard Jordan Hulls, a dozen from freshman big man Cody Zeller and six from reserve Matt Roth.

The Hoosiers used the break to adjust their defense to stop Frazier and it worked. They opened the second half with a 16-4 run to blow it open, leading 54-36 at the second media timeout. Even at that juncture, no Lion other than Frazier had more than five points.

Frazier did not score until the 8:37 mark of the second half, making a pair of free throws. But they only drew PSU within 59-43. With no one else getting it done, he was forced to keep pumping up tough shots, and finished 9 of 24 from the floor.

Penn State never seriously threatened in the second half.

SHORT SHOTS

 Frazier finished the season with 602 points, the seventh most in school history. He did it in 32 games.

 Forward Gyasi Cline-Heard also had 26 points for PSU in the Big Ten Tournament. He did in a loss to Iowa in 2001.

 After missing most of the Big Ten season with ankle and back problems, freshman guard Trey Lewis made his first start since November. Lewis scored 11 points on 4-9 shooting before fouling out with 4:31 left. He was the only Lion other than Frazier to reach doubles in scoring.

 After scoring a career-high 27 points in the regular-season ending loss to Michigan, swingman Jermaine Marshall struggled Thursday. He went 1 of 6 from the floor and finished with nine points.

 As noted, Frazier was 9 of 24 from the field. The rest of the team was 10 of 31.